Student group builds leaders, fights hunger

When LaMont Thompson created the Blue Chips group at Pittsburg State this past spring, his goal was to give students the opportunity to grow as leaders.

One way to do that, Thompson said, is through community service.

“Being a leader is more than having leadership skills,” said Thompson, PSU's diversity recruitment coordinator and Blue Chips adviser. “You have to put those skills to good use by helping those around you.”

To that end, Blue Chips has taken on the mission of fighting poverty and hunger in the Crawford County area. An event next week will allow the campus community to help in that cause.

At 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 19, Blue Chips will host the Duck N Dodge Hunger Dodgeball Classic at the Pittsburg State Student Recreation Center. The registration fee is $60 per team, and the deadline to register is Nov. 15. Late registration up to Nov. 17 is available for $75 per team.

Proceeds from the event will go toward the group’s mission to fight hunger in Pittsburg and the surrounding areas.

“Our mission is to end hunger first in the Crawford County area, then expand out from there,” said Blue Chips President Wes Brantley.

Brantley is a senior biology major at Pitt State. He joined Blue Chips to help in his development as a communicator.

“The goal of Blue Chips is to maximize the leadership abilities of our members,” he said. “If you feel like you have some holes in your leadership abilities, we use our group to help you strengthen those weaknesses. I’ve had a number of opportunities through Blue Chips to work on my communication and develop better skills.”

Brantley said Blue Chips hopes to be one bridge between Pitt State and the community.

“We have so many resources here on campus, so many great student organizations,” he said. “We want to use those resources here to make a difference in our community. If we work together, we can end some of these issues like poverty and hunger.”

Blue Chips also celebrates culture and student talents through its Take Back Fridays (TBF) events, at which students perform various musical acts on campus. The next TBF event will take place from Noon to 1:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 18 at the Gibson Dining Hall.

To learn more about Blue Chips and to register for the dodgeball tournament, visit the group’s Facebook page at facebook.com/bluechipsPSU.